Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones (2024)

Published: Mar 30, 2011 · Modified: Feb 29, 2024

This authentic Scottish Scones recipe is super easy to make and so flaky. Soft and crumbly, these delicate scones go wonderfully with a hot cup of tea or strong caffe’ latte.

A lazy Saturday morning deserves a scone fresh out of the oven slathered with your favorite jam. Any morning deserves a scone fresh out of the oven!

Authentic Scottish Scones recipe

I usually make pancakes or waffles on the weekend. My family recently has been requesting scones. I have been making scones over the years for the kids with different kind of chips (butterscotch, chocolate, white chocolate) and with fruits. I never make them with just freshly grated lemon zest.

I mentioned recently I’ve been finally catching up on recipes I wanted to try from Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life. This was one of the recipes in the book I marked to try and it is a definite keeper!

What is a good scone?

My brother came over the other day and he was asking me what makes a really good, or rather, great scone? He asked how should the texture be? Hard? Soft? So I explained the texture should be crumbly and soft. Definitely it should not be tough and the less you work the dough, the more delicate your scone will be!

The tangy zest of the lemon mixed with the sweetness of the strawberry jam is exquisite. Delicate scones go wonderfully with a hot cup of tea or strong caffe’ latte (that’s the way I like them.

Scottish Scones
slightly adapted from Orangette

½ c milk (I used low-fat. You can use even heavy whipping cream if you like)
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
zest of one lemon
½ stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
3 Tbs sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and the egg and then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.

Rub the butter into the flour mixture, working until you have no lumps bigger than a pea. Add the sugar and toss to mix. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Bring dough together gently with a wooden spoon.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it no more than 12 times. [Apparently, twelve is the magic number here; surpass it at your own risk.] Pat dough into a round approximately 1-inch thick, and cut into 8 wedges. Place on an ungreased baking sheet or a Silpat.

Using a pastry brush, brush milk onto the wedges.

Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack and serve with your favorite jam.

If you want to see some pretty scones with a sweet glaze, check out my darling friend Lindsey's delicious scones! Here are links to my Sour Cherry Scones with White Chocolate Chips and my Butterscotch Chip Scones. The Butterscotch Drop Scones are dangerous. That’s all I have to say.

My in-laws have been enjoying this wonderful Florida weather. We have been too! The intense humidity and days of temperature over 100 degrees are around the corner for us. This gorgeous sailboat passed in front of our view on one of her recent visits to the beach. I see them so often that I forget their beauty.

I take for granted the splendid colors of our ocean. I neglect to cherish simple images such as this as I’m sure my in-laws do the same with the beauty that surrounds them in Italy. I guess your eyes are no longer intrigued with what is common.

I smile every time I hear them say, “Che bello!” How beautiful. Yes, it is beautiful. I’m looking at the places I see every day with new eyes thanks to my in-laws. I appreciate my life a little bit more each day.

My mother-in-law was fascinated with these trees at the park the other day. She kept filming them and photographing them. The same spot, over and over again.

Can you think of somewhere in your city or town that you have taken for granted? Something simple and beautiful. Something that is unique and special? Take me to your city! Tell me all about it!

Thank you for stopping by and for your awesome comments!! I promise to post something I’ve recently made with Teresa (my mother-in-law). She moves so fast when she cooks it is difficult to photograph her!